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The most notable names of 2014 were borne by personages saluted for their breakthrough achievements in the realms of entertainment, sports and the fine arts—and also including one no-no name.Our picks for the fourteen names most emblematic of the events of 2014—along with their related runner-ups are:

This year, more than ever, pop culture has been the driving force behind the most steeply climbing baby names. Those that saw the greatest upswings in popularity were inspired by rappers, reality and scripted TV, by sports stars and by starbabies. And they also reflected some broad general trends, such as exotic flower names, boys’ names for girls, ancient boy and vintage girl names, and geographic place names. Here are some of the most striking examples.

Every year, a small number of new names manages to move onto the Top 1000 list for the first time ever. Sometimes this marks the beginning of a climb up the ladder, other times it’s a name that will linger in the nether regions, and sometimes it might prove to be a one-shot wonder—perhaps an eccentric spelling picked up by just enough parents to make the grade.

But how about the recently released list? Of the forty-five possibilities, here are the Nameberry Picks for the twelve most promising newbies of 2012.

girls

Azalea—Though there were fewer than three hundred baby girls given this name in 2012, it has now definitely crossed over from the wilder fringes into the main flower garden. Azalea embodies a delightful combination of the fragrant floral with a shot of z-infused energy.